After 20: PBruins 0-Sharks 0

(Joe Makarski/Bruins Daily) The Worcester Sharks will have their eye on Bobby Robins, who got called for an illegal hit to the head late in the first period after delivering a bone-jarring hit to Worcester Sharks defenseman Matt Tennyson.

Despite being shorthanded four times in the first period, the Providence Bruins played a very strong and physical opening 20 minutes with the Worcester Sharks. But neither team could find the scoresheet as Worcester goalie Alex Stalock and Providence netminder Niklas Svedberg held strong to keep things scoreless. Here are some other highlights from the opening stanza:

Through four power plays, the Sharks tallied six shots, with four of those coming on their second power play. Their best chance came when Jon Matsumoto had a chance to bury a rebound on a shot from Sebastian Stalberg, but Svedberg was able to make both stops. That should give the P-Bruins penalty kill some confidence as they entered Friday’s contest ranked 29th in the AHL at with a succes rate of 79.5 percent – two percentage points ahead of last place Oklahoma City

In their only power play of the first, the P-Bruins fired five shots and moved the puck around nicely. Not bad for a power play that’s ranked 22nd in the AHL on the power play.

The league office could be giving a call to Bobby Robins, who absolutely drilled Sharks defenseman Matt Tennyson late in the first period. Robins got two minutes for an illegal hit to the head and a 10 minute misconduct. That’s rule 48 personified for those who really miss the NHL.

The bad blood between the two should boil over after the first period expired when James Livingston and Christian Hanson dropped the gloves. Shortly after the bout, Frazer McLaren had a verbal confrontation with Robins before the two teams went into the locker room.